Upper King · $ · bar food, burgers

The Post and Courier's alphabet guide gives it the letter A and calls it one of the oldest of the city's dives, 37 years old when the guide ran. After a fire burned its original location it moved to 467 King Street in 2000, ahead of the redevelopment that became the Upper King nightlife district. The paper notes pool tables, affordable drinks, and that it is one of few downtown places serving food after midnight ... a dozen burgers, cheesesteaks, loaded fries and nachos.

Acme Lowcountry Kitchen

Isle of Palms · lowcountry, seafood, southern, breakfast

Acme describes itself as a no-frills beach grill with a full bar and deck serving Southern coastal cooking. City Paper readers voted it Best IOP Restaurant and Best IOP Brunch in 2026. A regular on r/Charleston says they always plug it for dinner and brunch that is not high-end.

Agaves Cantina

Daniel Island · mexican

A Mexican cantina on Island Park Drive on Daniel Island with a house cocktail list. The site's own structured data files it under Charleston, 29492.

Avondale Wine & Cheese

Avondale · cheese, charcuterie

Avondale Wine & Cheese has been pouring in the Avondale strip of West Ashley since 2006 and describes itself as female-owned. City Paper readers named it Best Wine Selection for 2026 and runner-up for Best Wine Bar.

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Leon's Oyster Shop

Upper King · $$ · seafood, oysters, fried chicken, southern

Leon's opened in early 2014 in a converted auto body shop on upper King Street, per The Post and Courier; the venue calls it a former garage. It comes from Brooks Reitz and Tim Mink, the team behind Melfi's and Little Jack's Tavern. The house list is fried chicken, oysters, salads, cheap beer, soft serve, rosé on tap, frozen gin and tonics and grower champagne. City Paper prints the full name as Leon's Fine Poultry & Oysters. It was named a Bib Gourmand in the inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South on 3 November 2025.

Lewis Barbecue

NoMo · $$ · bbq, texas barbecue, texas bbq

Pitmaster John Lewis serves Central Texas barbecue here, sliced to order at the counter from smokers he designed and welded himself, as the venue tells it. The Post and Courier says the Charleston original opened about a decade ago and has since spawned rooms in Greenville and Atlanta. It is known for smoked brisket, beef sausage and corn pudding with Hatch green chiles, and it has a large bar and a backyard patio. This is Texas-style beef barbecue, not a South Carolina sauce tradition. It was named a Bib Gourmand on 3 November 2025.

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Rooftops and Patios Can we sit outside? Live Music Where can I eat and hear a real band? Private Dining and Buyouts Can we take a room? Craft Cocktail Programs Who is taking the bar seriously? The Whole Family Table Will they be fine with a four-year-old? Late-Night Food What is still open? Seafood and Oysters Who is getting good product in? Vegan and Plant-Based Where can I eat with no asterisks?

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